Former helper at Thane police station held for stealing ATM cards, withdrawing lakhs

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A 22-year-old resident of Mumbra in Thane district of Maharashtra has been arrested for allegedly stealing ATM cards sent by post and withdrawing lakhs from bank accounts of people, police said on Wednesday.

Prima facie, the accused Mohammad Tohid Mohammad Azim Shaikh fraudulently withdrew Rs 5 to 6 lakh and even purchased a car, a crime branch official said.

The accused had worked as a helper at the office of the Thane Police between July and November, 2021, he said.

The ATM card theft came to light after several people complained of not receiving the ATM cards sent by their banks.

Initially, a case was registered under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act against unidentified persons.

"The accused had worked as a helper at the Thane police office between July and November 2021, after which he left the job. He started stealing ATM cards of customers dispatched by speed post. He used to pose as a bank official to make customers share the secret OTP necessary for activating ATM cards," the crime branch official added.

Police recovered 86 ATM cards of different banks from the possession of Shaikh.

Shaikh used to dispose of the stolen ATM cards after use in a creek to destroy evidence.

Crime branch officials are conducting further investigation.

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